Vancouver Special

Want to win a free copy of Charlie Demer’s new book Vancouver Special? Head over to VancouverBars.net to enter to win!  Contest closes December 12, 2009.

Charles Demers was recently surprised on his TV show The CityNews List with a hilarious mock informercial for his book by co-host Paul Bae and the crew of their show.

Arsenal Pulp Press invites you to join author Charles Demers for the launch of his book Vancouver Special.

Thursday, November 26, 2009
The Rhizome Cafe
317 E Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Doors: 7:30 pm
Reading: 8:00 pm
Free!

Insomniac says:

“In Charles Demers’s darkly comic debut novel, Daniel — an East Vancouver obsessive-compulsive — is forced to evaluate his self-absorption against the trials and traumas of others. As he tries to submerge himself in a solitary, Karl Marx-inspired research project in the basement archives of the medical library, Daniel watches his family flounder at the centre of a free-speech fight for a children’s book about a same-sex relationship—between turtles.

Whether you read this book for Demers’s razor-sharp prose — he is a master of observation and a deft purveyor of contemporary vernacular — or simply to be dazzled by one hell of a story, prepare yourself: here’s a brave new voice that is both fresh and brash.”

To read a sample excerpt from The Prescription Errors, visit Insomniac Press.

Charles Demers discusses the impetus behind Vancouver Special, his perfect Vancouver day, favourite writers, Vancouver myths, and his top picks for an afternoon snack in this Q&A.

Charles stopped in to chat with Graham Clark and Dave Shumka on a hilarious LIVE edition of Stop Podcasting Yourself. Recorded at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, BC, on Sunday, August 2. Topics include eatin’ on a beam, Louis Riel, Amazon Women on the Moon, the Vancouver Canadians, and two Aunt Vivs. Listen to the podcast at Stop Podcasting Yourself.

Vancouver Special

Vancouver is at a crossroads in its history―host to the 2010 Winter Olympics and home to the poorest neighbourhood in Canada; a young, multicultural city with a vibrant surface and a violent undercoat; a savvy urban centre with an inferiority complex.

In Vancouver Special, writer and performer Charles Demers examines the who, what, where, when, why, and how of Vancouver, shedding light on the various strategies and influences that have made the city what it is today (as well as what it should be). From a history of anti-Asian racism to a deconstruction of the city’s urban sprawl; from an examination of local food trends to a survey of the city’s politically radical past, Vancouver Special is a love letter to the city, taking a no-holds-barred look at Lotusland with verve, wit, and insight.

The book also includes interviews with many of Vancouver’s unsung heroes; informational sidebars; and stand-up comedy excerpts, as well as numerous photographs by Emmanuel Buenviaje.

Coming fall 2009 from Arsenal Pulp Press.